Makes 14 - 16 dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 200 g coarsely chopped pork loin or skinless belly (or substitute with pork mince)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 spring onion, the white part, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine (or dried sherry)
• ½ tsp corn flour
• 100 g raw prawns, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 14 - 16 Gyoza wrappers

• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• dried chili flakes to taste

• Squeeze the excess water from the mushrooms and chop finely.
• Place the mushrooms in a bowl with the pork, ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and corn flour.
• Mix for a few minutes until the mixture binds together.
• Add the prawns and sesame oil and give it a gentle mix.
• Place in the fridge for an hour to rest.
• From an O with your thumb and forefinger and place the pastry on top.
• Spoon 1 tsp of filling on the pastry and push into the O cavity with the filling, squeezing into shape as you fill.
• Smooth the filling on top with a knife and tap the bottom gently on a wooden board so the dumpling stands upright.
•  Put a pinch of diced carrots on top.
• Line a bamboo steamer with a perforated sheet of baking paper and steam the dumplings in batches until cooked through - about 8 minutes or so.
• Serve hot with the dipping sauce and a glass or two of the 2023 La Motte Sauvignon Blanc or  2022 Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc.

• You can find dried shiitake mushrooms, rice wine and Gyoza wrappers at Asian supermarkets.
• You can substitute the rice wine with dry sherry.
• If you can not find Gyoza wrappers, you can use square Wonton. wrappers. Just dab some water on the edges of the shaped dumpling to fold back the sharp edges of the square pastry.
• The dumplings can be frozen. Just steam for 10 minutes from frozen when you want to serve them.